Bretts D&D Next

Backgrounds

Academy Graduate
You attended a prestigious Academy or University. Your family was wealthy and powerful enough to gain your entrance or perhaps through luck and talent you caught the eye of a patron who paid your way or sponsored a scholarship for you. You learned a great deal at university and your classmates were the sons of Kings, Merchants, and Powerful Wizards. While the skills you gained will stand you in good stead through the rest of your life, it is the friendships you formed that you treasure the most.

Skill Proficiencies
Skills: Insight, History or Arcana

Tool Proficiencies: One type of Gaming Set or Engineering Tools

Languages: One of Choice

Equipment: A Diploma scroll in a case, a set of fine clothes, a set of scholarly robes, a gaming set, and a book with notes scribbled in the margins, a ring with your schools crest, and a belt pouch with 10 gp.

Attending a great University forms bonds that last a lifetime. It forms a common experience that links graduates even of different generations. In any large town or hall of power you will be able to find a fellow alumnus who will be willing to at least listen to whatever you propose. They are under no obligation to help you, certainly not at risk to themselves, but you can at very least get a foot in the door. If they are wealthy enough they will be happy to host you and your party for a few days to swap tales and gossip about the old Alma Matter.
You may occasionally be approached by fellow alums who wish to ask you for favors. You are not obliged to help, but if you don’t word will spread along the school network, and your reputation will suffer.

Suggested Characteristics: University graduates are the elite of the world and they know it. They know how the world works and they have the ears of those in power. Their classmates included Princes and the sons of powerful bureaucrats. They studied Tactics and Spellcraft and argued Philosophy with summoned outsiders. They can accomplish great things but may fall prey to over ambition.

Personality Trait:

1 Pedant – Grammatical correctness and syntactic precision are the keys to effective communication. You shall correct errors wherever you perceive them.
2 Snob – It’s really quite charming that this city permits the lower classes to use the same streets as their betters, but must they really be permited on the sidewalks?
3 Gourmand – You have aquired a taste for the finer things in life and have been exposed to the cuisines of a wider world. And you want more.
4 Social Climber – Your origins may be humbler than those of your class mates but that’s not going to hold you back. Titles can be bought or married into.
5 Rake – Wine, Women and Song. If only people would just leave you to your pleasures you wouldn’t really need to stab anyone.
6 Life of the Party – Hail fellow well met! Come pour your self a glass and join the company.

Ideal
1 Tradition – The wisdom of the ancients is not to be improved upon.
2 Progress – Oh yes it is.
3 Ambition – History remembers the great, and you want to be remembered.
4 Invention – Mordenkainen is not the only one who can pen a new spell.
5 Art – Through the eyes and hand of an artist the beauty of even a mundane object can be shown.
6 Statesman – The game of Kings and powers is not for the faint hearted. And you are not faint hearted.

Bond
1 I would do anything for a classmate.
2 I am a firm believer in a cause I learned of at University.
3 I am a loyal servant of my King and Country
4 I am eternally grateful to the Patron who guided me through school.
5 History must be chronicled and preserved at all costs.
6 Magic is a force that can make the world a better place.

Flaw
1 Elitist – Who on earth gave this peasant the idea that peasants can have ideas?
2 Ambitious – I will achieve great things, whatever the cost.
3 Schemer – Why go to the trouble yourself when a whisper in the right ear can do it for you?
4 Practical Joker – Well if he can’t take a joke, he shouldn’t have become an Ambassador.
5 Plagiarist – Of course it’s my own work, what do you take me for!
6 The fools! I’ll show them all!

Archaeologist
You spend your days digging up a cultural identity, looking for things that are lost or forgotten. When not in the filed you spend a good deal of time pouring over whatever books you can find that may yield information on the next great sight. Others may see your obsession as a waste of time, but you know that the past holds the key to the future.
Choose a civilization from your DM’s setting, not necessarily your own peoples. You are obsessed with learning and whats more touching the history of that civilization. Are you an assistant to a scholar? Perhaps you are an adventurer who is obsessed with obtaining relics from lost civilizations, relics that might provide wealth, power, or both? Or a seeker of knowledge that will bolster your magical studies?

Skill Proficiencies: History (choose civilization), Investigation
Languages: Two of your choice one ancient
Equipment: A pick and Spade, A 50 page journal, a quill and ink well, Common clothing, Sturdy back pack, a belt pouch containing 10 gold in ivory trinkets, and an ancient, half destroyed map of a fallen city. A set of fine digging tools, small chisels, spades, and, brushes.

Feature: Access to the Archivist Guild.
The Archivist guild is a secretive group that deals in the collecting , cataloging, study and sometimes resale of ancient relics. The guild collects a great deal of news and rumors about possible locations ripe for excavation. When a site interests the guild greatly they will sometimes pool their resources to fun a full fledged expedition. Often there’s not enough interest in each location to fund expeditions, you can benefit fro this by taking on those open assignments. You can go to the guild seeing minor magical items that may help with excavations, such as comprehend languages scrolls, or specialized tools.
Expedition items purchased through the guild are 10 + your level % cheaper for you than they would be for other non guild members, with the agreement that you sell you finds exclusively through the guild. Violation of this agreement can mean expulsion.

SUGGESTEDCHARACTERISTICS
Archeologists are driven by their desire to learn about the distant past and are not satisfied to simply read it in a book. This makes them very knowledgeable companions in the right circumstance and gives them a surprisingly adventurous and curious outlook for an academic type. Their flaws might be an underlying greed that drives them , or an unfettered competitiveness to be the first to claim a find that might lead them into unknown dangers.

d8 Personality trait
1 I am so obsessed with a particular ancient culture I have started dressing and acting as if I were am member of it.
2 Nothing can shake my attitude that the next great discovery is just ahead.
3 I have spent so much time in the field that academics that just sit with their books in their stuffy libraries disgust me.
4 I know a thousand facts about ancient history, a great deal of them I make up as I go.
5 I am a very careful planner, every detail must be accounted for.
6 I will freely except help, but I keep my information close to my vest.
7 I make it a point to explain how ancient cultures were superior to the ones I live in.
8 I am paranoid that some one is going to swoop in and claim any discovery I make.

d6 Ideal
1 Aspiration. I see to prove my self though my discoveries and the knowledge they provide (Any)
2 Greed. I might not be open about this but I know some of the things I’m digging up will fetch a fine price. (Evil)
3 Understanding. My finds will bring us knowledge about the past I need to learn these things no matter who might resent the truth. (Neutral)
4 Curiosity. I don’t care what it takes I just need to see it for myself! (Chaotic)
5 Understanding. My finds have a value and a place, they must be cataloged, recorded, and returned. (Lawful)
6 Exaltation. The trappings of the past hold great beauty, only though appreciating them , can we plot a path forward. (Good)

d6 Bond
1 I have a map that I believe leads to a place of great and terrible power, I most protect it.
2 I am working to protect a very important find.
3 I was once cheated out of a valuable find now I’m seeking it, and revenge.
4 For years I have searched for a specific location.
5 I have alienated many academics with my opinions and thoughts on history.
6 A good friend of mine of was killed in a collapse during one of my digs, it haunts me.

d6 Flaw
1 When I hear a rumor about a possible ruin to explore I obsess over it to the deficit of all other things.
2 My relationships are always second to my work
3 My views about history and how it affects the world today are inflexible.
4 I think every rumor or possible dig is going to be a great find, I am blind to the risks.
5 I secretly hate the civilization I am studying , I am seeking only the flaws that brought them to ruin.
6 I have little respect for any one outside the world of archaeology

Ex-Slave
Your earlier life was spent as a slave, working for the benefit of others. You may have been sold into slavery, condemned for a crime, or born into a situation from which few escape. Nevertheless, you are now free to travel and adventure, having escaped, earned or bought your freedom.

Skill Proficiencies
Survival, Insight

Tool Proficiencies
One set of artisan’s tools related to your former slave profession.

Languages
One language used by your former owners.

Equipment
A set of common clothes, an artisan toolset of your choice, a pair of manacles, and a small bag containing 10gp worth of assorted coins.

Customization

Choose or roll on the following table to determine your former role as a slave.

Feature
Fitting In. As a former slave, you know the workings and ways of great households, castles, temples, and other institutions and locations. You can always immediately locate the “worker’s” entrance to such a building or compound and, as long as your companions do not give the game away, can often talk your way inside. You can generally move about within such a location without notice, following the patterns and demeanors of working staff.

Suggested Characteristics
A slave, or former slave, usually has a downcast, subservient aura even after being freed. A former slave may tend to obey authority, fear those of high station, and avoid authority figures where possible. Alternatively it can result in a stubborness of spirit to oppose all authority that imposes on ones sense of ‘freedom’

Personality Trait

1. I am fearful of others, with downcast eyes and placating words. It takes a lot to make me stand up for myself or others.
2. My experiences as a slave have made me angry towards authority; I will stubbornly disobey instructions whenever I can.
3. I only knew life institutionalized as a slave. I am uncomfortable and awkward in public, and secretly desire a return to the orderly life that I knew.
4. I earned my freedom, and I am joyous. I take delight and cheer in every step I make now that I am free. Every tree, every rock, is a wonder to behold.
5. Now that I am able to own property, I hoard it greedily, afraid that it will be taken from me.
6. Years of placating those above me have made me diplomatic, always seeking to talk my way out of situations.

Ideal

1. Vengeance. Those who enslave others make me angry; I am hostile and vengeful in the face of such people. (Chaos)
2. Order. Although I am free, I do not regret my life. Its order and regulation were a comfort, and rules are something I welcome. (Law)
3. Freedom. I truly believe that all beings should be free, and seek to bring about that ideal. (Chaos)
4. Power. I envied my owner’s power, and secretly desire the same for myself. (Evil)
5. Exultation. Free, I can now enjoy life’s pleasures – and I do, with joy and delight. (Any)
6. Hierarchy. My life effectively brainwashed me; I believe to the core of my being that social rankings are deserved and divinely given.

Bond

1. My family was killed or died in slavery. I will have my vengeance, in this life or the next.
2. My memories of my home are dim and distant, but I will return there.
3. My freedom cost me dearly, and I owe a life or monetary debt which must be repaid.
4. I was not freed; I escaped. For the rest of my life, I will be looking over my shoulder, waiting to be recaptured.
5. I do not know who my family was, but I yearn to find out and reunite myself with them.
6. My former owners treated me well; I feel a strong sense of gratitude towards them for that.

Flaw

1. I am unable to meet the eye of anybody of higher social rank than myself.
2. My greed often overcomes me, especially when it comes to food – years of being deprived make me a glutton and a hoarder now that I am free.
3. I was able to gain my freedom, and so can anybody else. I cannot respect those who accept their lot in life.
4. I can’t help it; now that I am not a slave, I treat slaves poorly. Perhaps I always longed for power.
5. I am a coward, conditioned to flee from the whip.
6. I am so used to lying my way out of situations which would displease my former owner that it often comes naturally to me even when it is not necessary. I will tend to deceive others about my activities out of habit.

Inquisitor

You belong to an organization or church that hunts down heretics, witches, or black magic. You are part of the vanguard, the holy warriors that not only defend the common folk but hunt down the unrighteous and sinful. Noteworthy inquisitions include the witch-hunt in Tepest; the Church of the Lawgiver in Nova Vaasa, who pursue of heretics and blasphemers; the followers of Elena Faith-Hold in Nidala, which crusade against sinner and monsters; and Darkonian sect of the Church of Ezra, who defend against the Legions of the Night.

Feature: Interrogator
The terrifying reputation of an inquisitor unnerves folk, who might readily volunteer unrequested knowledge in the hope of placating you and avoiding your wrath. When you attempt to gather information (through either forcible extraction or diplomatic enticement) but you fail to learn what you want, your subject might offer related lore or reveal minor secrets.

Suggested Characteristics
Inquisitors have a strong sense of right and wrong, firmly believing in the existence of true evil. They know the dangers of the supernatural and have seen the corruption of sin. Even ex-inquisitors, ones who no longer a servant of the Church, continue to believe in the righteousness of their actions, simply shifting their absolute convictions.
d8 Personality Trait
1 I believe that monsters are everywhere and anyone could be a creature of the night.
2 I like to make rhetorical speeches and sermons.
3 I am weary of always finding corruption and seeing the worst of humanity.
4 It’s my belief that everyone has secrets, everyone is hiding something.
5 I’m always reciting parables relating to the current situation.
6 I’m extremely pessimistic, always expecting the worst.
7 I try my hardest at everything I attempt, never giving less that my best effort.
8 I feel strong remorse over what I must do, especially my failures.

d6 Ideal
1 Protection. I defend those who cannot defend themselves. (Good)
2 Faith. My god gives me all the strength I require. (Any)
3 Honesty. I refuse to sully my lips with a falsehood. (Lawful)
4 Power. So long as I have power, it won’t corrupt anyone else. (Evil)
5 Responsibility. I must fulfil my duties and keep oaths I have sworn. (Good)
6 Greater Good. If I must damn myself to give others salvation, so be it. (Any)

d6 Bond
1 I would venture into the Abyss for my parishioners or congregation.
2 I have dedicated myself to unveiling evil of all kinds.
3 Everything I am is what the Church made me.
4 I will hunt down and destroy the foul beast that escaped me.
5 I owe my sponsor in the Church a debt I can never fully repay.
6 My family means more to me than my own life.

d6 Flaw
1 I see the world in absolutes: there is only good and evil.
2 I can be heartless and when dealing with those I see as sinners.
3 I gain more pleasure than I like to admit at punishing the wicked.
4 I expect perfection from everyone.
5 I’m stubborn, refusing to compromise in matters of importance.
6 I put too much faith in the Church and my superiors.

Prostitute/Harlot

Before you took to adventuring, you were once a member of the oldest profession, exchanging money for the pleasure of your company. The life of a harlot is a dangerous one – only slightly less dangerous than being an adventurer – and you have survived based on your quick wits and natural charm. You may have have started in the trade young, forced into the life after a childhood of poverty. Alternatively, you have have only recently taken up the profession to pay for adventuring school.

Skill Proficiencies: Insight and either Deception or Persuasion
Tool Proficiencies: One type of gaming set and one musical instrument
Equipment: A long crimson cloak, a set of common clothes, a set of revealing clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp in singles (and other assorted coinage).

Specialty
There are many different types of prostitute based on social standing and clientele. Much also depends on if you worked alone, for a pimp, or were employed in a brothel. Choose your specialty, or roll on the table below.

People pay well for ‘company’, so you seldom have trouble finding a roof to sleep under. Even if your hosts do not fully avail themselves of your services, you know how to engage the imagination and entertain the spirit.

While relaxed, people often let information slip that they shouldn’t. You can use your wiles to learn local rumours and secrets. This information tends to be unfocused and learning specific details is more challenging. You are also able to identify local harlots, who are typically willing to support fellow members of their profession. They are also able to share information they have pried from their clients and loan you mundane goods and other simple equipment.

Suggested Characteristics
No matter how well you were treated, the life of a sex worker is not easy and leaves its marks, although these are not always visible to the eye. Skilled prostitutes are able to mask their own personalities, to better become who or what their client wishes them to be; despite this facade, your inner nature reveals itself in subtle ways, creeping to the surface no matter how often it is veiled.

d8 Personality Trait

1 – I remain cheerful and optimistic despite my lifestyle, as if heart were made of gold.
2 – I’m bitter from painful experiences, and everything I say sounds sarcastic or cynical.
3 – I’m a mimic, adept at shifting my persona to what the situation requires. I adore trying new things and being new people.
4 – I like to take what I want, when I want. I loathe being told “no”.
5 – Regardless of my situation, I maintain an air of class and distinction, and always remember my manners.
6 – I’m a shameless flirt, and love being the center if attention.
7 – I’m a little suspicious, worried about being betrayed and caution of being assaulted.
8 – I’m quiet, always listening and paying attention to my surroundings.

d6 Ideal

1 – Independance. No one will have power over me again. (Chaos)
2 – Number One The only person I ‘m concerned about is me. (Evil)
3 – Honesty One must abide by their deals and fulfill what they paid to do. (Lawful)
4 – Money There are things I won’t do for gold… but not much. (Evil)
5 – Secrets Knowing someone’s secrets gives you power. (Neutral)
6 – Pleasure Find joy in life whenever you can, with whomever you can. (Any)

d6 Bond

1 – All sex workers are my brothers and sisters, and I must defend them.
2 – I owe a sizable debt to my pimp or madame that I must pay off.
3 – I protect the identity and secrets of my clientele.
4 – I have family that I’m working to support.
5 – My reputation determines my value and must be maintained.
6 – I once called a burlesque house or bordello my home, and will protect it with my life.

d6 Flaw

1 – I no longer believe in love.
2 – I judge people for what they can do for me.
3 – I cannot let go of the past and react poorly to reminders of my old life.
4 – I am fighting addiction to an illicit substance with varying success.
5 – I come from a broken home and hate being reminded of this fact.
6 – I will do anything to raise my station in life.

Sole Survivor

You lived through a great tragedy, an event so traumatic that it now defines your entire life. Everything you once loved or valued is now gone forever. Who you were before the tragedy no longer matters, and returning to your old life seems impossible: that life is a distant memory, more akin to a dream than reality. The trauma you survived likely involved serious personal injury or the loss of a loved one (or both), but it could have also involved the loss of your livelihood, home, or reputation.

Skill Proficiencies: Perception, Survival
Tool Proficiencies: One type of artisan’s tools (your choice)
Languages: One of your choice
Equipment: A set of artisan’s tools (one of your choice), a memento from your past life (lock of hair, locket with a picture, or worn toy etc) a set of traveler’s clothes tinderbox, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp

Feature: Safe House
Having barely escaped disaster once, you are overly prepared to avoid future calamity. You have one or more hidden caches where you stored a change of clothes, basic supplies, a few coins, and some food. This cache might be hidden in a crawl space with barely able to fit a single person, a shack hidden in the woods, or a small second home in the city.

Suggested Characteristics
Survivors have experienced a great deal of emotional trauma, which makes it difficult for them to form emotional attachments. They can be suspicious, possibly to the point of paranoia. Some survivors have difficulty thinking about the future, dwelling on the past and their regrets. Other survivors plan for any contingency, hoping to avoid future tragedies.
d8 Personality Trait
1 Despite my emotional problems, I maintain a facade of normality.
2 I am extremely pessimistic, always expecting the worse.
3 I try to be ready for anything to happen. Anything.
4 Humour is my prefered defense, and I take very little seriously.
5 I can be overly cautious, even in mundane situations.
6 I appear unemotional, being overly logical and withdrawn.
7 I have a plan for any situation, and a back-up plan for when that fails.
8 My happiness is fleeting, as I’m filled with a deep sorrow.

d6 Ideal
1 Aspiration. I must be better, I must try harder. (Any)
2 Power. Those in positions of power can prevent tragedies. (Evil)
3 Vengeance. I will have retribution for my pain. (Evil)
4 Protection. Someone has to defend the weak. (Good)
5 No More. I will not stand by and let others suffer. (Chaotic)
6 Community. Neighbours should look out for neighbours. (Lawful)

d6 Bond
1 My friends and companions keep me sane.
2 I’m determined to help others whenever possible.
3 Helping others keeps me grounded: as long as I’m active, I can’t dwell on the past.
4 Someone helped me after my loss. I owe them a great debt.
5 The people of my home town are the closest thing to family I have left.
6 Revenge drives me forward.

d6 Flaw
1 I have strong feelings of guilt for surviving.
2 It is difficult for me to trust others.
3 I view strangers as expendable.
4 Nightmares prevent me from having a full night’s sleep.
5 I’m self-destructive, taking unnecessary risks.
6 My mood changes wildly and without warning.

Doctor

You were a surgeon, barber, country doctor, field medic, nurse, or other medical professional. Healing wounds, treating diseases, and creating medicines for others in need was how you spent your days. While illness and injury make many uncomfortable, they are areas in which you thrive. When others panic, you’re working on a cure or stopping the bleeding.

Skill Proficiencies
Investigation, Medicine

Tool Proficiencies
Herbalism Kit

Equipment
A preserved medical anomaly (such as a deformed skull or appendix in a jar), a herbalism kit, Healer’s Kit, a set of traveler’s clothes, and a belt pouch containing 15 gp.

Feature
If you work as a healer during your downtime from adventuring you are able to afford a modest lifestyle for yourself. In addition, whenever you and your allies are in a civilized settlement, you are able to provide them with free medical care and hospital beds, provided they are sick or injured. This is provided as a professional courtesy from your others in the field of medicine.

Suggested Characteristics

Many doctors share a passion for healing the human body, whether or not they have bedside manner. Their studies and experiences have given them an edge and they are often the smartest person in the room. This quality can make some haughty know-it-alls, but those who are kind are often mentors who are sought out for advice by others. Many societies hold their healers in high esteem for good reason. It’s up to you if this goes to your head or not.

Personality Trait

1 I often talk about bodily fluids and other subjects most find gross, but I do not.
2 I constantly give out unsolicited medical advice.
3 Where there is a problem I cannot solve or diagnose, I talk it through until I figure it out.
4 I can never give an answer with 100 percent certainty because nothing is certain… I think.
5 When I give instructions I just tell people what to do, never why.
6 I stare openly at people who have medical ailments.
7 When I see a problem which needs solving I become obsessed with finding the answer.
8 I speak up whenever I see a person doing anything I don’t like.

Ideal

1 Reason. There are no coincidences because everything can be explained with logic. (Lawful)
2 Charity. All creatures have a right to proper medical care. (Good)
3 People. Governments do not have the best interest of their people at heart. (Chaotic)
4 Knowledge. True power over the anatomy can fix any problem. (Neutral)
5 Mercy. To take the life of any creature without first exhausting all other options is unthinkable. (Good)
6 Independence. I only provide help to those who ask for it. (Neutral)

Bond

1 A relative owns a scalpel I covet which has been in my family for generations.
2 An incurable disease took a loved one and now I’m determined to find a cure.
3 I am devoted to the school where I learned my trade and hope to return as a professor someday.
4 Whenever I’m in civilization, I feel draw to other medical professionals and seek out their company.
5 I have a fascination with a particularly specialized field of medicine, such as leeching or amputation.
6 I have a precious research diary which contains all my medical observations and thoughts.

Flaw

1 My opinion is always factually correct.
2 If someone asks me a question and I don’t know the answer I’ll lie rather than say I don’t know the answer.
3 Whenever someone does something even a little foolish I can’t help but berate them.
4 I do not have a sense of humor, especially when it comes to jokes at my expense.
5 I am very worried about the long-term effects of magical healing, but I will rely on it in a pinch.
6 In cases of extreme suffering I will take the life of patients even when it is against their wishes.

Town Guard

As a member of a constabulary or city watch, you were trained to uphold the law and protect the citizens of your settlement from mundane threats. Your job was one of deterring crime: being visible and vigilant. When needed, you pursued fleeing criminal or intervened in disturbances, but investigation of crimes was outside your duties.
You might have been a common guard, or a member of a specific law-enforcement order. Examples include the Lamplighters, the small but efficient constabulary of Mordentshire; the Gendarmerie, given authority to enforce the law across Dementliue; the Bellmen of Paridon, headquartered on Bell Street and focused on hunting murderers; or a low-ranking member of the Kargat, the secret police of Darkon.

Equipment: Badge of office, an oilcloth cloak, a truncheon (club), evidence from an unsolved crime, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp

Feature: Officer of the Law

You are still recognised as a member of the town watch by fellow guards of your order. Those of a lower rank will typically defer to your authority or recognise your experience. The town watch of other settlements may identify you as a fellow guard and offer aid as a courtesy. Other guards will help you will any lawful endeavors, offering minor assistance such as discussing current investigations or information on local affairs.
Suggested Characteristics

Those who opt to join a town watch often have strong feelings towards law and order and are driven to help people. They put their life at risk and make themselves a target for retribution for very little recompense. A few become guards because they like the feeling of authority and are something of a bully, but the dangers of the job mean these individuals are rare.

d8 Personality Trait
1 I do everything according to the strict letter of the rulebook.
2 I take copious notes, recording everything I witness to avoid forgetting details.
3 I would rather spend a week in the stocks than walk away from a fight.
4 The danger of my job makes me feel more alive than anything else.
5 I work hard during the day, and just at hard on my time off.
6 I always have a ready drink or a preserved snack.
7 It is difficult for me not to snoop into other people’s business.
8 I always make the first move. I can ask questions after.

d6 Ideal
1 Honesty. I cannot do my job if I’m not trustworthy. (Good)
2 Tradition. Laws are a constant across the generations. (Lawful)
3 Rules. A code of law is what separates us from animals. (Lawful)
4 Power. Someone has to make the rules and keep the streets safe. (Evil)
5 Action. If your heart isn’t beating, you’re not alive. (Any)
6 Punishment. The wicked need to be brought to justice. (Any)

d6 Bond
1 One of my parents was a guard. This isn’t a job, it’s my inheritance.
2 I will not rest until I catch the criminal who escaped me.
3 My sense of integrity means as much to me as my life.
4 I will clear my town of criminals and corruption.
5 I have to prove I’m innocent of the crime
6 My fallen partner will be avenged.

d6 Flaw
1 I believe everyone is guilty of something.
2 I don’t take bribes, I just get paid extra to do my job.
3 Breaking out of a cell is easier than changing my mind.
4 When someone is accused of a crime, I always believe they did it.
5 It is not my place to decide which laws to follow. I enforce them all equally.
6 I sent an innocent person to jail and have done nothing to free them.

Variant: Detective

Most guard do little to hunt down criminals, leaving this task to trained investigators. Detectives do not keep the peace or deter illegal acts, but look at the evidence left after crime to discover the perpetrator. Detectives are rare: few constabularies make use of their services and fewer still have a detective as a member of the watch. Many detectives sell their services, freelancing for the town guard or whomever can pay for their services.
Rather than proficiencies with Intimidate and Perception, you are likely proficient in Investigation and Persuasion. And in place of your proficiency with Vehicles, you might be proficient with thieves’ tools or a disguise kit.

Undead Hunter*

Hunting the undead is more an obsession than a profession. You have spent your life until now learning how to hunt the undead. You have scoured oral traditions, legends and scholarly lore about these vile abominations to learn how to find them, how to defend against them, and most importantly, how to destroy them.

Skill Proficiencies
Investigation, Religion

Tool Proficiencies
Thieves tools

Equipment
A backpack, 2 days food, holy symbol, a wooden stake, a vial of holy water, a garland of garlic, a small mirror, a set of common clothes, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp.

Feature
Secrets of the Dead. You know all the common folklore about the abilities and weaknesses of common types of undead (what the typical village priest, shaman or elder would know about these creatures). Folk that know they are menaced by undead will give you any common supplies or equipment you need, as well as a place to stay, and information you need, in your pursuit of undead, so long as they don’t knowingly have to put their lives or that of their loved ones at risk. When you attempt to learn or recall a piece of information about an undead or type of undead, necromancy, or items, gods, or rituals or other magic or lore related to the undead, if you do not know that information, you often know where you can find it, though obtaining it may require significant effort in some cases, or even be difficult or impossible to obtain.

Suggested Characteristics
Undead hunters are generally a dark and brooding sort, shunned by normal people due to their obsession (some would say insane obsession), but sought after when there is need at hand due to the threat of the undead. Undead hunters sometimes let their obsessive hatred of the undead get the better of them, by getting themselves in over their heads, or by hardening themselves to the point of losing their own humanity and compassion in order to make themselves strong enough to wipe out the obscenity against life that undead represent.

Personality Trait
1. I don’t like to get too close to people. If they are turned someday, I may have to kill my own loved ones (again).
2. I am very compassionate to the family of those who’ve become undead or been killed by undead.
3. I cherish life and joy when not hunting, to forget the darkness of the undead for a time.
4. I pity each undead, for once they were alive and now exist in a state of abomination. I weep for each one I put to rest, but only when my task is done.
5. I have little patience for the follies of the living. The undead have no weaknesses, so we must be just as hard.
6. I am prone to dark and sullen moods because of the horrors I have seen and done.

Ideal
1. Duty. My work is essential and must be done at any cost. (Lawful)
2. Life. My work saves and protects and celebrates life, for undeath is its antithesis. (Good)
3. Death. Eternal rest is everyone’s right. I help those who have lost their way to find it. (Lawful)
4. Vengeance. My loved ones were victims of the undead. I shall not rest until none walk the earth. (Any)
5. Faith. My faith decrees these vile things are abominations and we must destroy them. (Any)
6. Compassion. I must help those who are in danger from the menace of the undead, and release those who have already succumbed. (Good)

Bond
1. My village/town/neighborhood/region is afflicted by undead and I must cleanse it.
2. I am part of a network of other undead hunters, and whatever our differences, when it comes to hunting the undead, we are as one.
3. My loved one was turned by the undead, but I don’t know where he/she is. One day I will find him/her and free him/her from that curse.
4. I released one from the clutches of undeath. The family saw it differently and now hunts me as a murderer.
5. My mentor was killed by a powerful vampire (or other undead) that probably now seeks me out to kill me or turn me too.
6. My loved one(s) was turned by the undead, but I cannot bear to destroy him/her/them yet. Perhaps when I’ve destroyed many undead, I will grow numb enough to do what must be done.

Flaw
1. I am stubborn and prone to taking risks when it comes to slaying the undead or those who create them.
2. I’m prone to drink, or other forms of intense entertainment when I’m not actively hunting, to forget the horrors I have seen and done.
3. I can be overzealous in spotting the signs of the undead, perhaps even sometimes when they are not involved.
4. My manners with the living are crude, since I spend so little time with them.
5. I am horrified of being turned undead, and will sometimes panic if it looks like that may happen.
6. I am unforgiving of those who fail to do what must be done against the undead.